Five of the biggest frustrations about looking for a job

Five of the biggest frustrations about looking for a job by Amber Rolfe Hate job hunting? You’re not alone… Whether you’re a practiced jobseeker or you’re just starting out, looking for a new job can be a stressful (and time consuming) process. Not only do you have to nail your applications, you also have to find a job that’s actually right for you.To help you get through it, here are five of the biggest frustrations about looking for a job, and our advice on how to deal with them:1. ‘I need experience to get experience’ So you’ve just found the perfect job.You’re fully capable of carrying out the tasks and duties listed in the job description, and you have all of the required skills and knowledge. There’s just one catch; you need experience.And if you’re a recent graduate or school leaver, or you’re looking to change careers â€" you won’t always be able to tick that box. Especially if the experience required is industry-specific, and surprisingly extensive.But don’t let this discourage you. Although the re are many roles that will require experience, there are also lots that don’t.And if you can’t find them? Remember: all experience is good experience. Even if you have to start from the bottom or work in a different industry â€" the transferable skills you gain will show recruiters what you’re really capable of (not to mention demonstrate your dedication to working your way up).Our advice: Start small. And work in any way you can to build up a portfolio of practical work experience. Because whether you volunteer, sign up for an internship or apprenticeship, or even work freelance â€" there’s always an opportunity out there to help you develop your skills.Changing careers: What you need to knowHow to: Get work experience2. ‘I can’t find the job I want’ Finding a great job isn’t easy â€" especially if you’re really specific with what you want.Not only could disappointing results be reaching a rut in your job search, they could also mean you start to lose motivation in ever finding anything. Ever.But whether you’re unknowingly searching in the wrong places, your search terms are too specific (or too vague), or you’re simply looking for a job that very rarely comes up â€" there can be a number of reasons your search isn’t going well.And you might be surprised at how a few simple changes could make a difference.For example, if you don’t have many options â€" consider broadening your search (whether it’s through introducing Boolean searching or being more flexible with the job title). And if you have too much? Make your search more specific.It’s all about your adapting your search method.Our advice: Don’t limit your options. Although you might be set on a particular job, that doesn’t mean it’s the only one that’s right for you.What job would suit me?Can’t find a job: What to do next3. ‘There’s too much competition’ Unfortunately, you’ll never be the only candidate for a job.And if you see a job that’s already had 10 0+ applications, submitting your own can feel like a daunting prospect.Not only could you lose all hope of being considered, you could also doubt whether there’s even any point applying. In fact, you’re beginning to wonder whether the phrase ‘needle in a haystack’ derived solely from your job search problems.But competition shouldn’t stop you from pursuing a role you love.Instead, do everything you can to make your application stand out. So what if they have the same degree as you? It won’t mean anything if your CV and cover letter is better at representing your abilities than theirs is.Our advice: Think about what makes you unique. There might be a number of similar candidates, but that doesn’t mean there’s no way of setting yourself apart. Dig deeper into your skills, experience, and hobbies â€" and provide clear examples to prove how they make you a good fit for the role.CV tips and advice: How to stand out from the crowd4. ‘It’s time consuming’ No matter ho w experienced you are, finding a new job can take time.Not only do you have to tailor your CV and cover letter to each application, you also have to put the effort into searching for a job that ticks all of your own boxes.But before you assume job searching is just wasted time â€" think again. OK, you might not be getting a job straight away. But by staying focused and continuing to submit applications, you’re working on your ability to stay motivated and patient â€" and proving these skills to future employers.Let’s face it, an evening spent crafting a really compelling application is better than an hour spent firing out irrelevant CVs that won’t ever get read.Remember: good things take time.Our advice: Don’t rush it. Creating a really relevant and engaging application is a great way to prove your passion and interest to employers. After all, they can spot a rushed application from a mile off, so it’s absolutely vital that you put the time into tailoring it to each job an d company.Job search: Dos and don’ts5. ‘I don’t hear back’So you’ve applied to (seemingly) thousands of jobs â€" and you’ve only heard back from half of them.Understandably, you’re frustrated.Has the job been filled? Will they tell you if you haven’t been successful? Did they even read your application? Aside from making you wonder whether the CV myths you’ve been hearing are actually true (cue: robots) â€" you’re also probably wondering what you did wrong.This is why asking for feedback is essential.Whether their response helps you improve on your next application, your interest persuades them to consider your application further, or they actually just haven’t gotten round to the interviewing stage yet (meaning you still have a chance) â€" you’ll get the peace of mind you need to keep going.Our advice: Don’t give up. Although not hearing back can be discouraging â€" letting it affect the rest of your job search will only make things worse. Instead, continu e to put the effort into applying for other roles â€" and you’re only like to increase your chances of finding one that’s right for you.Four ways to follow up after an applicationStill searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features How to start looking for work

Three Feet from Gold

Three Feet from Gold In Think and Grow Rich, Hill tells the story of a man who was caught up in the gold rush of the 19th century.   He discovered a vein, and went back east to get his family’s help in raising money for the machinery to mine the ore.   He returned to Colorado and began drilling, but to no avail.   The vein that seemed so promising was not yielding any gold.   Desperate, he drilled on for weeks and weeks, but never located the gold ore. Finally, the man decided to sell the equipment for a few hundred dollars to a junk man.   E then returned home.   The junk man didn’t scrap the equipment he’d bought.   He spent a little money to consult a mining engineer to study the fault lines in the area.  The engineer predicted that he’d find gold just three feet from where the first man stopped drilling.     He was right. The junk man decided to consult a professional before giving up, and he made millions from the mine.   The first man paid back all the money loaned to him to build the machinery, and more importantly, learned the lesson from his failure. He vowed never to stop again at a simple “no, ” and he turned that determination into a very successful sales career.     Determination plays an important role in every successful person’s career.   How determined are you to get a great job?   Did you ever give up on an opportunity that might have been gold?   Many people told Napoleon Hill that their greatest successes came just one step beyond the point they thought they’d been defeated.   Take one more step after you believe you have exhausted your options.   You never know when you might be three feet from gold.  

Personal Branding Weekly - 12 August 2013 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Weekly - 12 August 2013 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Last week I shared how on Facebook every day I throw down a Bootstrapping Buzz challenge. So, who accepted the challenge? Which ones did you do? How did you do? Please be sure to share in the comments below. Heres the challenges from last week: Fridays  bootstrapping buzz challenge Think of one mistake youve made where you felt like you really failed. Focus on what youve learned from the experience. To create buzz you must be able to make adjustments and slight course corrections. Those who do so inspire others around them to speak positively on their behalf. Thursdays  bootstrapping buzz challenge Identify your past success. Make a list of ten past successes They can be small daily success or accomplishments. Put a check mark next to 5 that required internal boldness. To create buzz your belief in yourself must be unwavering. Shore it up with the strength from past successes! Wednesdays  bootstrapping buzz challenge Say NO to something or even to someone. Pick one item you can eliminate that will also free up time and effort: Your business and your workday will thank you for it. People will not positively buzz about people who are frazzled. Get rid of the thing (or person) who is sucking the life out of you. Tuesdays  bootstrapping buzz challenge Answer this question honestly below When was the last time you invested in yourself? What or how did you invest in you? To create buzz you have to invest in whats at the very core of buzz you. People do business with people. And, they do business with people they KNOW, TRUST and perhaps like. First, they must KNOW you. Second, they must TRUST that youre good at what you do, know your stuff are credible. If they dont TRUST YOU, I dont care how much they LIKE you they wont do business with you. Mondays  bootstrapping buzz challenge Look beyond your immediate network even outside of your industry. By growing your network outside your regular reach, youll be able to connect people in your network with others who have similar interests and personalities. Create buzz quickly by being the person that connects people. Hope you’ll consider joining in on my Facebook page! Here’s this past week’s posts: Personal Branding Lessons from The Boss Bruce Springsteen by Skip Weisman Three Things No One Tells You About Social Media by Crystal Washington How Tasty is Your Personal Brand? by Nance Rosen Generation Y and the Workplace by Ceren Cubukcu Personal or Professional? How to Balance Your Brand Online by Heather Huhman Streamline Processes to Experience Increased Profit by Elinor Stutz Reading and Personal Branding Success by Roger Parker Social Media: What Is It for People in Transition? by Alex Freund Top 10 Career Practices to Learn from  Administrative Assistants by Glassdoor.com Vacation Time? Ensure Your Brand Runs Smoothly by Maria Elena Duron How to Use Your OBT to Create Success by Jeff Shuey Do You Prime Your Referees? by Kate Southam Aspirations Find Your Own Unique One by Sharmin Banu Be Accountable for Your Mistakes: It Feels Great! by Beth Kuhel Does Your Marketing Tone Match Your Brand? by Leslie Truex Networking and Business Growth for Massage Therapists by Erik Deckers 2 Sales Strategies for Managing Your Career by Marc Miller Apply an 18th Century Strategy to Your Career Life by Skip Weisman This week well highlight: Is social media the end of humanity? The proper way to make an email introduction Branding blahs How to build your brand at your new job Ways sales professionals should use social Five things I’ve learned about business from boating Dont turn off those who could help you find a job Lots of great thoughts and conversations from last week have grown! Thanks for your insights and feedback. Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of  buzz2bucksâ€"  a word of mouth marketing firm, and a professional speaker and trainer on developing social networks that work. She provides workshops, webinars, seminars and direct services that help create conversation, connection, credibility, community and commerce around your brand.   Maria Duron is founder  and moderator of  #brandchat   a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of  branding  that is recognized by Mashable as one the 15 Essential Twitter Chats for Social Media Marketers. Are you busy? Here’s some quick and easy tips on  Social Marketing for busy people.

Are Hairdressers Putting Your Recruitment Business at Risk

Are Hairdressers Putting Your Recruitment Business at Risk Many recruitment leaders I work with want their recruitment CRM to generate fees, but often recruiters are all too happy to jump back into spreadsheets, LinkedIn, notebooks and “going by memory” rather than use their CRM system properly. The above results in a nightmare for recruitment leaders who are looking to grow their business, become “GDPR-proof” and become more profitable in 2018. It also results in a problem I call “Hairdresser Syndrome”, a term I’ve used for many years to describe a recruitment business that needs to get a grip on its processes and data to see real growth and ROI. Do you have a recruitment firm, or an office full of desks for rent?  I have been with my hairdresser for 8 years. He knows my taste in magazines, some of my secrets and all of my roots.A few years ago he was based in a large salon in the city, where he rented a chair. The rest of the salon staff barely knew I was there, and I didn’t really notice them either â€" zero interaction. Perhaps if I was lucky my hair would be washed by one of the juniors. I’d pay the girl at the till on the way out, but my hairdresser was my only real contact at the salon. One day he very quietly commented that he was opening his own salon, and would I like to move with him? I bit his hand off why wouldn’t I? I had no relationship with the salon. They kept no details on me, perhaps they didn’t even know I existed. Would they miss my business? For me, he was the salon. Are Your Recruiters Hairdressers? Can you see any similarities between your recruitment business and my hair salon? They have exclusive relationships with the clients. Are you simply the “girl” taking my money at the till? Do they use stuff in your business, such as hair washers, tea makers, reception (IT, HR, Finance, Admin) that their fees contribute to, but that I am totally oblivious to? Are your consultants simply logging data at the point of sale to get the cash in but the juicy stuff which is about me, what I like, how I buy is in his/her head? If they left and took “clients” with them, would you know? And don’t forget you’ll only know what data they’ve taken and who’s migrated with them if they told you about these relationships in the first place. Even if you had the data on the client, would it be enough for you to continue the relationship going forward? Are your clients engaging with your business or the consultant? Are their loyalties to the brand or their perceived face of the brand, the consultant (the hairdresser)? I’m still seeing “30-second recruiters” who enter a candidate in the CRM just to place them and board the invoice. Recruitment consultants are tempted to brush off GDPR as a flash in the pan, carry on as usual and keep billing how they’ve always billed. That may work for them in the short term, but they’re missing out on opportunities to be more effective and profitable whilst putting the business at risk. CRMFirst and GDPR: Hairdresser Prevention For Recruitment Leaders This year is about CRMFirst and GDPR (getting your candidates, clients and consultants addicted to your systems), but it also needs to be about data hygiene, recruiters building effective, retained relationships and recruitment firms focusing on growth, not just legislation. GDPR and a CRMFirst culture can create a valuable pool of great data that will put you ahead of your competition and create a hidden asset that your clients (and prospective clients!) want access to. Your recruitment CRM should be a USP â€" a unique selling point. Your recruitment software can be an addiction for your recruiters, your clients, candidates, and investors. All of which does the one job you bought it for â€" to make you more money. Swap the Salon Culture for CRMFirst Culture… Instilling a culture of data quality is challenging, but highly rewarding. Define the strategy, instill this into your culture and reduce the risk of bad data impacting the recruitment business. Get your recruitment consultants engaged with your system and train them on best practice so they understand why great recruitment process is profitable for them, as well as your business. Stop them from simply renting a desk. Once they can see and feel the benefits of following your processes (improving performance, profit, and ROI for themselves as well as the business) then your CRM can become a business growth tool, rather than an expensive data dump and potential GDPR risk. So, are you guilty of simply renting a chair to your consultants to allow them to grow a lovely portable client base, or do you do more to grow/protect your brand, relationships, and market share?

Help! My LinkedIn Skills and Endorsements Are a Mess - Executive Career Brandâ„¢

Help! My Skills and Endorsements Are a Mess

Cool name wanted - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Cool name wanted - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog In a couple of days time, Ill be starting my new company. The company will work with happiness at work, with new ways of working and meeting. All the things Ive been reading about, thinking about and talking about for a year now. But the company needs a name, and thats where I need your help. Write a comment and suggest a name. The winner will get an honourable mention here on the site. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

A Look at How To Improve Your Resumes Spacing

A Look at How To Improve Your Resume's SpacingIf you have a professional resume that you need to make a connection with the hiring manager, then one of the most important tools in that process is the resume spacing. You need a professional resume that will stand out, and this means that your resume needs to be properly spaced to achieve that end.There are certain aspects of a well-spaced resume that you should take into consideration. The best way to do this is to look at examples of resumes that other professionals use. Taking some time to look at a variety of these resumes can help you get a feel for what works and what doesn't work in terms of resume spacing.Most of the time, when you first look at a resume it doesn't look very well-spaced. This is because your body is cut off at the top and the bottom. A well-spaced resume works on both the horizontal and vertical plane. The latter includes things like the use of large type to draw attention to the most important points.There are many other things that you can do as far as resume spacing is concerned. The most important of these is to make sure that your resume is clean and readable. Remember that a good resume is more than just writing it. You need to think about the spacing between your sentences, the placement of your headers, and even the spacing within the paragraphs to create a well-read resume.Another factor that can impact your resume is the font. You should avoid choosing fonts that look too busy or that seem too old fashioned. It's OK to use fonts that are quite modern, but if they don't stand out as much as you would like them to then you may want to avoid them. Certain fonts can also cause eye strain and make reading difficult.A good resume is really a combination of all of these things. Youhave to think about the relationship between the heading, the body, and the titles of your pages. If you have no experience in this area, then find someone who does. The better educated you are about this, th e better job you will do.Remember that if you are looking for a job, there are several factors that a hiring manager is going to be looking at when they are considering your resume. You want to make sure that you are able to get that job because you have a skill set that will really be valuable to the company.Resume spacing can go a long way to ensuring that you get the job you are after. The following information will help you get started with a better resume and look great in front of that hiring manager. Then, you can relax and know that you are doing everything that you can to make yourself stand out from the crowd.